Extra

Election Cash Continues to Flow

By Richard Brenneman
Friday October 31, 2008 - 09:37:00 PM

Campaign contributions are continuing to pour in as the election nears, though a plea for developer donations for one candidate hasn’t yet materialized. 

 

District Four 

Developer Ali Kashani sent an e-mail last week asking his colleagues to open their wallets for Terry Doran, the former school board member and current zoning adjustments board member. But there’s no evidence—as of Friday—of the hoped-for influx of builder bucks. 

Of the candidate’s 10 reported contributions this week, half come from individuals connected with the land use communities, including $100 each from architects Rebecca Hayden and David Trachtenberg with another $150 from architect Erick Mikiten. 

Harry Pollack, a land use attorney and city planning commissioner, gave $100 and Caleb Dardick, a public relations consultant who sometimes represents projects, gave another $100. 

The only other candidate in the District Four council race to report contributions this week was Jesse Arreguin. None of his contributions came from the development community. 

 

District Five 

Incumbent Laurie Capitelli reported four contributions this week. Loan processor Dawn Malatesta of MPR financial, a mortgage brokerage, gave $100, while real estate lawyer/planning commissioner Harry Pollack gave $150, while his partner, William Davis, gave $250. 

Challenger Sophie Hahn reported a dozen contributions, with one definitely from the development community—Nancy Hendrickson, an engineer with CH2M Hill, a global engineering and construction firm, who gave her $250. She also received $100 form Fatemeh Heidari, director of the Live Edge design studio. 

Jay Keasling, one of UC Berkeley’s biofuel researchers/entrepeneurs gave her $250, while preservationist Austene Hall gave her $250, making her the recipient of perhaps the most eclectic set of donations. 

And Robert Krumme, one-time mayoral candidate and self-employed “Promoter of Liberty,” gave her $200. 

 

District Six 

Only Susan Wengraf reported any contributions this week, and she received just one, $100 from architect Gordon Chong, 

 

Mayoral cash 

Two other candidates reported new contributions this week: Mayor Tom Bates and former mayor Shirley Dean, who hopes to recapture the position she lost to the incumbent six years ago. 

Bates remained solidly in the lead as the recipient of choice of the development industry. Among the latest contributions reported this week are: 

Three contributions of $250 each from members of the family of developer Bill Falik, who has already given a similar sum, for a total of $750; 

Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 Political Action Committee gave $250; 

Berkeley Bowl owner Diane Yasuda gave $250; 

West Berkeley developer Doug Herst gave $25O;  

Real estate investor Tony Kershaw provided $250; 

General contractors Michael McDowell and Karen Springer each gave $100; 

Brickworkers and Allied Craftsworkers Local 3 PAC gave $150; 

Dealer Steve Beinke and two employees of Berkeley Honda, which seeks to build a new dealership in West Berkeley, each gave $250. 

Of Shirley Dean’s recent contributors, only two appear to have ties to the land use sector. 

The most directly tied to the development industry is David Shiver, a $250 donor, who is principal of Bay Area Economics, a real estate economist/consultant. 

Donor Jana Olson does restoration lighting rather than new installations. She gave $150.